Opposition, Saskatoon library union say Sask. government needs to act on overdose crisis

Halyna Mihalik · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 24, 2025 6:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Saskatchewan's Opposition NDP says an detonation of overdoses successful Saskatoon, and the consequent closures of 2 libraries and the city's lone supervised depletion site, show the provincial authorities isn't putting health attraction and addictions backing successful the close places.

"We request much backing for treatment, for lodging and for societal supports," Betty Nippi-Albright, the NDP's professional for intelligence wellness and addictions, said astatine a quality league Monday.

"We request the Sask. Party authorities to travel retired of hiding contiguous and present a existent and accountable program to the radical of Saskatoon to extremity this cause crisis. Far excessively galore radical person died already."

On Friday, the nationalist room announced a month-long closure of its downtown Frances Morrison Library and the Dr. Freda Ahenakew room connected 20th Street W. successful the aftermath of the city's protracted overdose crisis.

The city's occurrence section has responded to 696 overdoses since Jan 1. Library unit responded to astatine slightest 48 overdoses oregon cause poisonings truthful acold this twelvemonth — astir treble the fig from the aforesaid play successful 2024, according to a connection from the nationalist library.

Both branches volition reopen April 21, it said.

The announcement came 2 days aft Prairie Harm Reduction, which operates a drop-in centre and supervised depletion site, announced it was closing temporarily to springiness its unit clip to retrieve from a dense workload stemming from the overdose crisis.

Homeless advocator David Fineday said helium understands wherefore the closures are necessary, but that radical connected the streets present person obscurity to spell for help.

"I was fixed cases of naloxone and I'm going to spell springiness them retired connected the street because there's cipher retired determination to support our radical close now, everybody's walked away," Fineday said.

"All these places are closed. Are they gonna spell into the promenade now? Where are they gonna go?"

Province responds

The Saskatchewan Party responded to questions astir Saskatoon's overdose crisis Monday.

"We're precise acrophobic that this is happening there," Lori Carr, curate of intelligence wellness and addictions, told CBC. "This is happening due to the fact that of illicit drugs, that's wherefore the Government of Saskatchewan is moving toward betterment and getting radical the assistance that they need."

Carr pointed to 500 addiction betterment beds promised successful this year's budget, but would not reply if determination was an contiguous program to code the overdoses happening successful Saskatoon.

'Libraries are not attraction centres': national rep

The national representing room unit said they've been dealing with much and much overdoses and convulsive behaviour.

"Library workers aren't archetypal responders, they shouldn't person to woody with aesculapian emergencies, they shouldn't person to woody with convulsive people," Cara Stelmaschuk, a CUPE 2669 representative, told CBC. "They should beryllium determination to assistance radical read, find books, find information, larn to constitute a resume."

Stelmaschuk said room workers person had to woody with radical overdosing and sleeping successful bathrooms, unit being deed and spit on, and having to clean up humor and quality waste.

She said nary of those are things library workers got into the occupation to do.

"Libraries are not attraction centres," Stelmaschuk said. "Library workers are not addictions counselors. This is not their job. The authorities needs to measurement up and get present and assistance radical now."